The one-third of our lives that we spend sleeping is far from being “unproductive”. The body works hard on regeneration, solidifying what you learned into long-term memory and resetting the hormone system, etc. It determines how truly well, energetic and productive the other two-thirds of our lives can be.

More and more connections are being uncovered between the sleep quality and the strength of the immune system, our mood and our cognitive function. It also determines if our blood pressure is normal and how easy it is for our body to let go of the fat tissue.

When you sleep well, you feel better, you look better and your whole day is so much easier and I’m sure you’ve experienced that already. If this hasn’t been a case for a while it’s time to check if you’re optimizing your daily routine to ensure great night sleep.

The big daily 5 that will make you ‘sleep like a baby’

Limit caffeinated drinks to the morning – no tea, coffee, matcha, soda, or mate after 2pm in the afternoon. It takes about 5h to break down the 50% of the caffeine that was consumed, so if you’re particularly sensitive you still may have about 30g of caffeine at 7p if you drunk an espresso at 2p and that might interrupt your sleep pattern.

Opt for naturally caffeine-free teas in the afternoon. If you need a mild pick me up, try maca or licorice in a bevrage or as a supplement. For the evening your best choices of herbal teas can include mint, lavender, chamomile, valerian, passionflower or tulsi – these can help you to relax and set the tone for good night sleep.

What you eat can also affect your sleep. Too much sugar on a daily basis can create insulin resistance in your body and that will destabilize your blood sugar easily waking you up at night. Make sure you are eating enough good quality protein and fats – these are necessary for your sleep hormones and neurotransmitters production.

Refrain from eating any food a full two-to-three hours before bed – this will allow you to fall asleep easier and will also help with healthy weight maintenance.

Opt forquieter, calming evening activities instead of using high-tech toys at night. Swap that for any of these: reading a book, taking a warm bath, going for a light stroll outdoors, playing with a pet, folding laundry, listening to relaxing music, chopping veggies for the next day, etc. Find something that you like doing and that is relaxing and calming to you.

Have a one full hour before bedtime without checking email, TV, playing with your phone, next-day-planning or stressful conversations. Give your brain a chance to truly relax and get into sleep mode.

Create your ultimate sleep environment. Invest in a comfy bed and bed sheets that you like. Make sure your bedroom is not too hot – your body temperature drops at night and thus it is more comfortable to sleep in a cooler room. This also prevents sleep disruption.

We sleep best in a complete darkness, so maybe a balck-out curtains are something you need if you sleep is not typically vey deep. If noise is an issue during the night.Consider soft foam earplugs or the white noise of a fan.

These are simple ideas. But they are powerful!

What are some of the sleep remedies that you’ve tried so far?

What are you doing today to have a better sleep?